Desperate Measures
by MizzLafferty135
Summary: Nathan never got the chance to prove himself, and his own father is at fault for that. But when reunited, he finds himself fighting for his family. OTH-OC cross-over. Please R&R!
1. The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows

Authors Note: I have no summary for this story because it's more of a read and be surprised fic, but I will tell you this, Nathan and Haley were married, just as they were in the show, the only difference is they were seniors instead of sophomores. In good time, this will become an O.C. mixed story, and for of all those who don't like The O.C., either don't read this or deal. it doesn't at all mean you won't like the idea and story. One more thing, for now every other couple will remain nameless, because I always have a hard time deciding between Lucas and Peyton, or Brooke, so if I do decide to add some of that in there somewhere, I'll probably just do a vote. So anyway, happy reading!  
  
Chapter One  
  
The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows  
  
Haley hesistantly lifted her hand to the door, knocking several times before recieving and answer from... none other than Dan Scott.   
  
His expression was curious, as if contemplating the possible reasons she could be standing on the front doorstep of his beach house. Little to Haley's knowledge, he already knew.  
  
"Hi, Mr. Scott, have you heard from Nathan? I just came from his apartment and I checked his house. I thought he might be here- I'm probably overreacting but I just worry so much when I can't find him and..." she babbled, stopping mid-sentence when she realized this, along with the fact that she sounded like an obsessive wife, which she no longer was. The throbbing pain in her chest returned at once, as it had every time she thought about Nathan in an affectionate way since the divorce.  
  
"Weren't you recently married to Nathan? You should know by now that you won't ever find him around here."  
  
"Oh." She breathed, partially relived, yet disapointed. "But if you do hear from him, you'll tell him I was looking?"  
  
Haley didn't wait for an answer, she desperatley turned to leave, when his response caught her off-guard.  
  
"You know, it's been a while since we've had a chance to talk, Haley. Why don't you come inside?"  
  
His smirk was demanding, cold, one Haley knew all too well. She had, after all, been the late wife of his son, if only for three months, she had been through so much agony with Dan as a father-in-law.  
  
"Now isn't the time. I really should go..."  
  
"Another appointment at the family planning clinic? Desperate for a sample of my son's DNA so you can try to figure out which one of my off springs impregnated you?"  
  
Haley gasped, glaring at him. She tried to speak, but nothing came out, so instead, she stomped passed him, into the sun-filled beach house.  
  
"How did you find out about that?" Haley spun around once she had reached the living room, Dan trailing along behind her.  
  
"It's a small world. And an even smaller town." He said simply, his eyes glazed over with determination.  
  
She cringed. If Dan knew she was pregnant, he would surely let his own son know before she got the courage to tell him. After all, they were yet to graduate high school, within two weeks or so, and were only eighteen. The recent divorce, which had only been a month or two ago, was not because of either one of their disloyalty to each other, but simply because neither were ready for such a large committment. Haley had decided for the both of them that it would be best if they called off their relationship all together and went their seperate ways. Nathan, tired of fighting her on this, agreed and soon found it was not the best idea. As had everyone around them.   
  
"You can't tell Nathan."  
  
Dan shook his head no, a small smile forming on his lips. "My intentions were never to do so."  
  
The knot in her chest loosened slightly, but not for long... "And I suggest you don't either."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"   
  
"It's come to my attention that Nathan has gladly accepted his offer to attend UCLA next year, pretty good basketball team, I hear."  
  
Yeah, more like relucatanly accepted his offer to UCLA.  
  
Haley knew where this was going... the life Dan Scott had set up for his son was finally coming into play after all those long years of pressure... everything would finally pay off for him. Dan, that was.   
  
"He's worked too hard for this oppurtunity, and I'm not about to let him throw it out the window. This is Nathan's whole life Haley, not you, not some mistake of a child, and as a father I feel obligated to protect my son. Protect him from ruining his life... or better yet, letting you ruin it by getting knocked up."  
  
Haley gawked. Where in the hell did he get the confidence to say these kinds of words to people.   
  
"And as a mother I feel obligated to protect my own child. He won't be ruining his life. He has a baby now, and with that he's already got so much to live for. Not some stupid game. He deserves to know, and he would want to be a part of his child's life." She sniffed away her tears, trying to contain her fear.  
  
"Wrong again, Haley, telling nathan you're pregnant will only guilt trip him into giving up the most important thing in his life to become some... family man. Do you really want to be the one to do that to him? Deny him basketball so he can go work at some dead-end job, day-in, day-out just trying to make ends meet. You can sacrifice your life to have a kid, but you can't expect Nathan to empathize with you and do the same, because that's exactly what he will do. Not becasue he wants to, but because he feels he has to."  
  
"But he doesn't. Not if he doesn't want to. And there's nothing you can do to stop him... the choice is his, not yours, nor mine."  
  
He stuck his arm out in front of Haley to stop he from leaving, as she had continually be trying to do.   
  
"Just think about this. You do as I say, leave Tree Hill after graduation and go off to college like everything's normal... and don't mention a word to anyone about this, and I will have all of your expenses taken care of. Everything you need. But if you betray me on this, Haley, you'll live to regret it. Trust in that." 


	2. All The Small Things

Chapter Two  
  
All The Small Things  
  
"Why don't you just go talk to her? Who knows, maybe the feeling's mutual." Peyton said sympathetically, walking with Nathan to class while noticing that his eyes kept wandering over to Haley, who was laughing with Lucas.  
  
"It's not." He replied sternly, keeping his eyes locked on the concrete before his feet.  
  
"And how would you know that, if you refuse to talk to her?"  
  
"I don't need to talk to her... she made it pretty clear that she didn't want to ever speak to me again when she shoved those divorce papers in my face."  
  
Peyton nearly busted out laughing at this comment. "OK, first of all, you both decided on that, remember? And... how are you supposed to move on if you can't even talk to your, um... ex-wife."   
  
Everyone had been finding it difficult to refer to Haley and Nathan as their ex-husband/wife, because they were so young.   
  
Nathan stopped abrubtly, and turned toward Peyton. "And what if I don't wanna move on?"  
  
"Well then, I suggest you dig a little deeper, that old Nathan has got to be in there somewhere."  
  
He wrinkled up his forehead in confusion. "What the hell do I do with that?"  
  
"Toughen up, Scott. You used to be made of steel before Haley... and now you've turned into some.. sappy.. love-sick.. pupppy," She laughed as Nathan rolled his eyes. "Gather up some courage, I know it's in you. Somewhere, anyway. She'll be gone off to college before you know it, and if you don't tell her how you feel now, you may never get the chance."  
  
With that Peyton walked away, leaving him to think about all that she had just said.  
  
"I just want to get this school year over with... finally leave Tree Hill and go off to college. Who knows, Europe might not be so bad!"  
  
"Uh.. Haley, Europe will definitley not be so bad. Besides, you don't have to act all upset that you're leaving just for my sake... it'll be good for you, you've always wanted to get out of this town and travel, I'm happy for you."  
  
Lucas swung his arm around his best friend as they sat there on the bench in the school yard. Little did he know, she really was upset about leaving. No need for an act. She was never a good actor anyway.  
  
"I guess so... I'm gonna miss this place. If you can believe it, I might actually even miss this school." They both turned to Tree Hill high, then shrugged and quickly changed their minds, laughing it off.  
  
"Speaking of it... you have a date for prom?" Lucas asked, secretly hoping she didn't. It wasn't as if he was in love with his best friend or anything, although he had had a tiny crush on her since like, the third grade, but he didn't have anyone to go with himself.  
  
Haley frowned. "Uh... I'm not going."  
  
"What? You have to go Hales... this is prom we're talking about, not our eighth grade formal!"  
  
The uneasy look on her face made it clear he needed to pull out his puppy-dog pout, which struck her with giggles. She rolled and eyes and sighed. "Alright, I surrender! You don't have a date and I'm willing to lend a hand out to a desperate friend in need. Cause you know, I'm nice like that."  
  
Haley was leaving school a little behind schedule, when she noticed Peyton was heading toward her from the opposite direction. She did her best to ignore her, but Peyton clearly wasn't as dumb as she hoped she would be.  
  
"Haley! Wait up!" She called down the hall, jogging to catch up.  
  
"Hey... I haven't seen you around in a while."  
  
"How ironic..." Haley sneered, speeding up her pace as Peyton struggled to keep up.  
  
"What's with you?" She was running out of breath as the brunette kept at a steady speed-walk.  
  
"I really don't have all that much time, Peyton. Could you get to the point?"  
  
"Are you going to prom with anybody?"  
  
Haley was surprised at how upfront she had been. And a little uncomofortable, too.  
  
"Actually, I'm going with Lucas. Sorry Peyton."  
  
"What?! No, no, no... you misunderstood me. I mean... wait, you're going with Lucas? As in like, a date?" She asked, apparently dumbstruck. Maybe a little jealous. Just a smudge.  
  
Haley figured Peyton would be telling all this to Nathan, and so she decided to have a little fun with his feelings, just as he was with hers. "Yeah, with Lucas... as in like, a date."  
  
She continued to walk, but Peyton slowed to a sudden halt, feeling more pity than ever for Nathan. 


	3. Economy Of Mercy

Chapter Three  
  
Economy Of Mercy  
  
"Ohhh... Tutor-Girl!" Brooke called out in a sing-song voice from behind Haley. It had been days since her discussion with Dan, only a day from their high school prom, and Haley was feeling completely out of it.  
  
She spun around and smiled at Brooke, who had apparently been early to school tha day, also. Over the last few months, their common difficulties with men had grown them closer, resulting in a beatiful friendship. Neither of them knew this so-called "beatiful friendship" had ever existed.   
  
"Hey, Tigger. What's up?"  
  
She glided over to Haley, a worried expression defining her usually cheerful face.   
  
"Have you gotten a gown for Prom yet?" She asked eagerly.  
  
"Whoa, what's this? Brooke Davis is fashion clueless?" Haley was quite amused by the idea.  
  
She cast her a look, before proceeding, "Look... I didn't think I would be going. I mean, I know I shouldn't sit around and pity myself all day but I just wasn't in the all-clear after Lucas... and um... I really don't want to go there, so please tell me you're ready for some last-minute shopping with me!" She finally ended, able to breath.  
  
Haley laughed, but nodded. "Well, I guess that makes two of us then. Just as long as you don't turn me into your dress-up doll."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure it won't get that extreme. If it does, I'll recomend you to my therapist."  
  
----  
  
"Wait, did Peyton Sawyer just as me to be her date for Prom?" Nathan asked with a smirk.  
  
Peyton rolled her eyes. This had been her way of keeping the ugly, yet real, truth from her friend. "Well, yeah, I mean, we all know no matter how much pressure we put you under there's not a chance in hell you'd ever ask Haley."  
  
Nathan sighed heavily. "You know I can't do that, Peyton. But since you've offered, I guess I could be your escort to the Prom."  
  
"Good, good. As long as this whole "escort" deal doesn't involve a late night fetish, I know how you Scott's are." She warned, not being able to help the smile now forming on her rosie red lips.  
  
Nathan held his hands up in surrender. "Hey now, I'm a guy, not just a Scott. I do have hormones, you know." With that Peyton lightly smacked him on the arm, as he feigned hurt.  
  
----  
  
"I don't know if shopping with you was such a great idea..." Haley joked, holding her black gown embroidered with pink flowers at the hem up to her body as she stood in front of Brooke's full-length mirror.   
  
Brooke came up behind her, claspin both hands on either sides of Haley's shoulders, sighing. "Well, in that case, my mission is complete."  
  
----  
  
Nathan lie in his room that night, covered in complete darkness, though that didn't stop him from admiring the picture he had clutched in his hands. The picture was of Haley and himself, taken during a former trip to the beach. They looked so happy their together. He couldn't imagine where they had went wrong...  
  
Except that was just the thing. They hadn't went wrong anywhere. An un-prepared decision to be married at such a tender age, that was all. But did that affect their love for each other? Not in the least bit. They were both still very much in love with each other, and it was up to Nathan to keep that love alive. He decided he would finally gather up all his courage on the nigth of their senior Prom. His last chance. 


	4. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing

Chapter Four  
  
I Don't Want To Miss A Thing  
  
"Gorgeous."  
  
Brooke took a step back and smiled at her creation. Haley was more stunning than ever, and she was sure to catch Nathan's attention. She actually seemed to be enjoying looking glamerous, and Brooke was enjoying getting her there.   
  
Haley spun around and flipped her hair a few times for Brooke's admiration, then broke out into a fit of giggles.  
  
"Ok, Barbie... think we'll make it out of here any time soon?"  
  
"Uh... aren't you forgetting something?" Brooke asked with a devious grin.  
  
Haley sighed intentionally, and responded in a fake enthusiastic tone, "Oh, right... Brooke, you look oh so beatiful. Any man should be proud to have you as their Prom date..." she replied with a quick roll of the eyes.  
  
Brooke grunted. "Don't I know it."  
  
"... Even Tim Smith." She added, recieving a light smack on the arm from Brooke, who defended herself by saying, "Last resort Hales, always remember, last resort."  
  
Haley's stood stiff next to Peyton as he awaited Haley's arrival.  
  
Peyton's Prom had started nearly an hour ago and still she hadn't shown, along with one other person he seemed to notice for the first time. But when they walked in together, arms entwined, even Nathan could only concentrate on Haley's beaty. He couldn't imagine a time when she had appeared more radiant. But it was, after all, Prom.  
  
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing Watch you smile while you are sleeping While you're far away and dreaming I could spend my life in this sweet surrender I could stay lost in this moment forever Well, every moment spent with you Is a moment I treasure  
  
He finally caught her gaze, and for the first time in a long time, she actually smiled back. Just as Aerosmith' "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" was beginning to play, Nathan forced himself to ask Haley for a dance, knowing she wouldn't resist. But he had beaten him to it. And so Nathan watched on in misery as his brother and ex-wife danced closely to his and Haley's song.   
  
Haley clung to her best friend, fearful that this would be their last precious moment together, and precious it was. She knew how much he loved her, how much he cared, yet she still couldn't take her mind off the fact that Nathan was dancing ever so closely with Peyton, to "their" song.   
  
Flashback  
  
"Nathan... every couple has a song, we have to have one too!" Haley whined as she sat in the passenger seat of his mustang.   
  
"OK, OK. So then, how do we decide what our.. song.. is?" He asked uncertaintly.  
  
She fumbled on the thought for a moment, before flipping on his car radio.   
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
She put her finger to his lips. "I have an idea. Whatever song is on.. will be our song."  
  
Nathan thought the idea was ridiculous but went with it anyway, he would do anything just to see her happy.  
  
But when Haley turned the radio to some random station, finding some unrecognizable country song playing, they both laughed and sent each other funny glances.  
  
"OK, maybe we'll try this one more time..."  
  
I don't wanna close my eyes I don't wanna fall asleep 'Cause I'd miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you The sweetest dream would never do I'd still miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
And that was that. Haley leaned back into Nathan's arms, both of them satisfied with the new song, one that they would forever more call their own. One they could always be sure they would be saved a dance to.   
  
End Of Flashback  
  
"Nathan, what is your fucking problem!" Peyton pushed him away suddenly, watching as his face turned bright red and several people turned to stare at them.  
  
"Um.. What?!"  
  
Peyton sighed, rolled her eyes, then made a hurried gesture toward Haley and Lucas.  
  
"Are you blind? Or just ignorant? Haley is right there... look how beatiful she looks," Peyton's voice softened as Nathan turned to the pair.  
  
Lying close to you Feeling your heart beating And I'm wondering what you're dreaming Wondering if it's me you're seeing Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together And I just wanna stay with you In this moment forever, forever and ever  
  
"You have to talk to her, please, just do it for my sake, for her sake, if not for your own."  
  
Nathan nodded almost apologetically, understanding that he had been putting off his discussion with Haley all night. After a minute or two, he was able to move his feet from their spot, walking toward the two.  
  
I don't wanna close my eyes I don't wanna fall asleep 'Cause I'd miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you The sweetest dream would never do I'd still miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
Lucas broke away from Haley when he felt a hand tug on his shoulder. He smiled, and nodded before Nathan could say anything at all, backing away from Haley and heading off in Peyton's direction. "I'll see you later, Hales."  
  
She looked to Nathan, her eyes large, glossy with tears. She immediatley pulled him into her body as they began swaying to the music.   
  
"I love you Nathan, you'll always know that." She whispered into his ear.  
  
I don't wanna miss one smile I don't wanna miss one kiss Well, I just wanna be with you Right here with you, just like this I just wanna hold you close Feel your heart so close to mine And just stay here in this moment For all the rest of time  
  
"Then why are you doing this, why are you putting us both through this torture when you know in the end, it's meant to be."  
  
She pulled apart from him, knowing that what she was doing now was torture enough. In the end, for the both of them.   
  
"You don't know that, Nathan. There's a whole world out there that we've yet to experience." She was trying to convince herself of this more than she was him.  
  
Don't wanna close my eyes Don't wanna fall asleep 'Cause I'd miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you The sweetest dream would never do 'Cause I'd still miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
He moved closer, reaching out for her warmth, but Haley stepped back just in time.  
  
"Please, don't do this.." She stumbled backward, turning on her heel to leave the gym, expecting, though resenting, that he had followed her.  
  
"Haley!" He called out, finally reaching her a mere few feet from her car.  
  
"I can't have this discussion right now!"  
  
"Is there ever going to be a time when you can have this discussion? It seems like every time is a bad time, but there's not much of it left."  
  
"What does that mean, there's not much of it left?" She slurred between sobs.  
  
I don't wanna close my eyes I don't wanna fall asleep 'Cause I'd miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you The sweetest dream would never do I'd still miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
"College, Haley, college. We're both going, as far as I've heard."  
  
"You're going to California..." Haley whispered, staring down at the pavement between them.  
  
He nodded slowly. "And you're going to Charlotte. I don't understand why, there's a campus right outside Tree Hill, in Wilmington... it's much closer..."   
  
"I need to get away from here, Nathan. I can't spend the rest of my life cooped up in Tree Hill, even if it is my home." She responded lightly, not daring to avert her eyes away from his. They were pulling her in... ever so gently...  
  
"But you're gonna come back, right?" He pleaded, reaching out for her hand, which she lent with no hesistation, and began caressing with her thumb.  
  
"I don't think so, Nathan. But it's gonna be okay, we're gonna be okay."  
  
Don't wanna close my eyes Don't wanna fall asleep, yeah I don't wanna miss a thing I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
Within in the same instant, she dropped his hand, allowing it to drop lifelessly to his side again, and moved toward her car, stopping to look back once before she climbed in and pulled the door closed. 


	5. Beatiful Letdown

Chapter Five  
  
Beatiful Letdown  
  
Haley packed the remaints of her keepsakes, clothing, and other very important artifacts, then zipped the suitcase shut. She searched around the room for anything she might have forgotten, but found nothing. Everything sat in corners of the bedroom, taped up tightly in brown boxes or packed away in a suitcase. This was it. This was her goodbye. It had only been a week since graduation, which made all of her friends and classmates suspicious to the fact that she was leaving so early, which she claimed was to find a nice apartment, and get settled in. She had not hesistated to dry out Dan's bank account, wanting only the very best life for her son or daughter. Well, the best life she could possible give them without a father figure. Of course, no one knew that she was pregnant, no one except her parents. She had not spoken to Nathan since Prom, and had already said her goobyes to ever who mattered, basically Lucas and, well, that was all of them... except...  
  
"Word around Peyton's house is you're leaving." Brooke appeared in the doorway, a huge smirk plastered on her face. "Your Dad let me in, in case you were wondering."  
  
Haley quirked up an eyebrow. "Who isn't leaving, Brooke? School is over with, there's nothing left for me in Tree Hill."  
  
"Except for your friends, and your family, everyone who cares about you. What's the hurry, anyway?" she asked, taking a seat at the foot of Haley's bed.  
  
"No hurry. Just kind of anxious to get away from here. Begin a new... journey." She replied with a small laugh.  
  
Brooke nodded, supplying a solemn smile. "Because of Nathan?"  
  
Haley's head shot up. "No, not because of Nathan. Just... because..."  
  
"Just... because... of Nathan. Come on, Tutor-Girl, who else have you got to pour your heart away to? Lucas doesn't count, he's a guy."   
  
Haley sighed and joined her on the edge of the bed.  
  
"There's something that I've been wanting to get off my chest for a long time."  
  
"Tell me about it." Haley threw a catious glance up at her friend, not sure if she should explain furthur. "Don't worry, my lips are sealed."  
  
Maybe she wasn't sure about this, telling someone the truth, especially someone she had only recently began to fully trust. But she was sure Brooke would never tell a soul what Haley asked her to keep secret.  
  
"I'm pregnant."  
  
"What.... ?" Her tone was soft, sympathetical, but firm. "I was late for a couple of weeks, I didn't think much of it, but apparently it was a bigger deal than I hoped."  
  
Brooke slid closer toward her, squeezing Haley's hand. "Does Nathan know?"  
  
Haley immediatley followed this with a shake of the head, signaling to Brooke that he hadn't known. She couldn't believe she was having this discussion with her, but it felt so good to finally let it out of her system.   
  
"You do plan on telling him... don't you?" Haley again responded by shaking her head wildly, holding back the tears, as she was pulled into a tight hug.  
  
"Haley, you have to tell him. You have to." She whispered into the other girls ear, but she only buried her head farther into Brooke's shoulder and sobbed harder.  
  
"Please, Brooke, I'm moving to Orange County, not Charlotte, I didn't want anybody to come after me, especially Nathan, if he knew about this... oh, I know he would come looking for me. So please, please.. your lips are sealed, remember?"  
  
Brooke faced her straight on, searching her eyes. She knew Haley knew what she was doing, Haley always knew what she was doing. But she-Brooke-didn't know the whole deal to this, and she decided to leave her trust with Haley. Her friend. For Haley's sake, she would not tell Nathan.  
  
"Okay. I won't tell him." She whispered, not sure if she would regret it, and how soon.  
  
"Promise?" Haley returned, wiping her tears away with the tip of her thumb.  
  
Brooke nodded slowly, painfully. This was wrong, so wrong. "I sure am gonna miss you Tutor-Girl."  
  
"You too Tigger, I'll miss you too." 


	6. The OC Vs The LA Vs The NY

A/N: Helllooo... I'm back with my frequent updation. The moment we've all been waiting for... The O.C. comes into play! Yippee! Things are kinda twisted up there... and even though I wanted to add more characters, such as Luke, maybe even Teresa, it's kinda hard to keep tabs on that many characters... too much drama and all that stuff. But anyway, hopefully this chapter is somewhat satisfying, since I won't be able to update for at least a week, because I'm going to California for a month, and my mom is borrowing my lap top at the moment so I won't have it until she goes up there a week after me.. and blah, blah blah... here's the chapter...  
  
[b]Chapter Six[/b]  
  
[i]The O.C. Vs. The L.A. Vs. The N.Y.[/i]  
  
"What are you still doing in bed? We've got to be in L.A. in a few hours, and, in case you haven't noticed, we're still in Newport."   
  
Haley tilted her head up off the pillow and noticed her cousin walking into her bedroom.  
  
"Seth, how many times do I have to remind you, you don't live here?" Haley pulled herself up into a sitting position, using her arms to lean back on.  
  
"Well, if we wanted to get an early start this morning..."  
  
"And who invited you on this trip?" She growled playfully.  
  
"Excuse me Ms. Bossy-Pants, but these happen to be my friends, so I think the question is, who invited you on this trip?"  
  
"Ryan." She smiled gleefully, falling back into bed as Seth left the room.  
  
A moment later, her boyfriend of two and a half years wandered into the room with her daughter in his arms, sitting on the end of the bed and allowing Angelia to jump into her mother's arms.  
  
"'Morning, baby!" She whispered, lifting the giggling two year old up in the air.  
  
"I'm gonna go finish making breakfast, you think you'll be ready to go by then?"  
  
Haley nodded as he placed a kiss on her forehead, and then attacked Angie with loads of kisses all over her rosy cheeks. Haley smiled. After she had moved to California, she moved in with her cousin, Seth, who introduced her to Ryan. At first, they started off as really close friends, but gradually became more, and he surprised Haley by sticking with her after he found out she was pregnant. Haley lied, to Ryan, telling him the father of the baby had died in a tragic car accident before she had a chance to tell him the news, and she moved to Newport start over new. Seth disapproved, but understood Haley's fear of telling Ryan the whole truth. Would he think less of her if he knew the whole truth? Over the last few years, Haley watched as her daughter and boyfriend grew closer and closer, he had been the only father she had ever known.   
  
Nathan looked up from the cash register to see his older brother, Lucas Scott, wading around tables to get to him in a hurry.  
  
"What are you doing here, man?" Nathan asked when he was close enough to hear.  
  
Lucas ignored the question and placed his elbows on the counter, leaning down on them for support. "Got any plans for tonight?"  
  
"No. My shift ends in an hour, why, what's up?"  
  
"Ah, not much. Summer's meeting some old friends at The Masquerade. I thought maybe you'd wanna come, you haven't been getting out much lately."  
  
"Summer, eh? You two still doing that whole... what was it again? Oh, yeah.. wedding thing?" The younger man asked smugly.  
  
Luke rolled his eyes and stood upright again. "Real funny. When are you gonna let up on her? Never mind, don't answer that, I'm not in the mood. So you're coming, right?"  
  
Nathan nodded grimly. "Yeah, I'll drop by as soon as I can get out of here."  
  
"Ugh! Thank [i]god[/i] I never have to go back there again!" Marissa Cooper exclaimed as she entered the kitchen of the apartment she shared with two other college girls, dropping her keys on the counter, and pulling open the fridge door.  
  
"All-nighter huh? Tough day at work I assume." Peyton asked her roommate and best friend, leaning in the door frame.  
  
"Like you can't even begin to imagine."   
  
"Gina told me Jenkins has been riding you guys pretty hard lately." Said Peyton, referring to Marissa's boss, and their third roommate, who worked at the same night club as Marissa.  
  
"He only wishes," Marissa stepped away from the fridge, mumbling 'pervert' under her breath, producing a small carton of orange juice. "Lucky for me, I have never have to go back to that damn whore-house again. I quit today. Proud?"  
  
"You mean you got fired, right?" Peyton asked, raising her eyebrow. "Same difference. Apparently I'm not skank enough. [i]Whoop-dee-doo[/i]! The important thing is, I have a whole schedule cleared, which means, that trip to California, is so on again."  
  
"That flight is today..."  
  
"Your point being..?" Marissa smiled deviously. "C'Mon, cheer up, I get to see Ryan and Seth again. You get to see..."  
  
"Lucas and Nathan." Peyton finished her sentence.   
  
"Right. Them. But first... I need a long nap." She finished, grabbing her cup of orange juice and heading for her bedroom.  
  
Peyton sighed, and headed to her own bedroom to begin packing. Today, or tonight, she would be seeing Nathan and Lucas again. It had been three years since she saw any of them. Nathan and her had spoken on the phone a few short months ago, like usual, but nothing from Lucas. Never hearing a word from Haley since she walked away without a goodbye three years ago, supposedly on her way to college, or so she was told by her mother, Peyton assumed she was still back in Charlotte. Brooke, on the other hand, had dropped out of college after only three months in New York, ditching Peyton to pursue her dream career in Europe. Although Peyton had heard from her in so long, she knew Brooke was happy and living her life to the fullest just from skimming through monthly fashion magazines or catalogs of world famous designers.   
  
Nathan pulled his car into the nearest parking space to the specified motel room, and stepped out of it onto the sidewalk. When he reached the room, he knocked softly on the door, balancing the two pizza boxes in his right hand. Finally, it swung open, and in the doorway stood....  
  
Dun, dun, dun... who could be at the door? Hm... I wonder! Guess we'll just have to wait till next week to find out... Pleeeaaasseee REPLY! I will leave for San Francisco tomorrow anxious to update... think about that statement. No, really, think about it. Lol. -Erin 


	7. Close Encounters Part One

Chapter Seven  
  
Close Encounters: Part One  
  
The door finally opened and there in the doorway stood a young man, about Nathan's height, with sandy, shaggy hair and bright blue eyes. He gave Nathan a questioning look, as if wondering what the hell he wanted, all the while Nathan held the two piza boxes firmly in hand.  
  
"I have two pizzas here for.. uh... Ryan Atwood?" He prayed he hadn't messed up and gotten the wrong motel room. From the looks on this guys face, it was quite possible.   
  
"Yeah... that would be me." Ryan spoke grimly, carefully taking the boxes from Nathan and holding out a twenty dollar bill. Nathan accepted it graciously and handed him back his $3.65 difference, which Ryan refused, mumbled a quick 'thanks' and began closing the door.  
  
"Haley-Seth-pizza!" Nathan turned back instinctively at hearing that name being called, but the door had been closed only moments before. Knowing that it was not his Haley, but someone else's, he headed back to his car, shrugging the whole thing off, but not being able to get rid of that odd feeling now settled in his gut.   
  
o  
  
"Be good for Aunt Kirsten, okay baby? And not too much sugar before bed, remember that..." Haley spoke into her cell phone as she came out of the bathroom, shaking off Seth's annoyed look.  
  
"...Make sure you wash your face and brush your teeth... and don't stay up too late either... I'll be home next week. Mm kay, love you too Princess." She pressed the off button and glared back at Seth.  
  
"What is it? Don't tell me Princess had another nightmare about the zombie bunnies, because I swear to you Haley James we will get right back in that car..." Seth mocked, giving her a stern look.  
  
Haley was just about to snap back at her cousin when they heard from the adjoining room, "Haley-Seth-pizza!"  
  
o  
  
"I wonder where they are? They're supposedly bringing someone with them..." Marissa scanned the crowd inside the night club as they waited along the sidelines of the dance floor.  
  
"Ooh... a friend huh? Cute?" Peyton asked mischeviously.  
  
Marissa turned and snickered at her friend. "Well, sure, if you're in to girls." That wiped the smirk right off her face.   
  
Both their heads snapped around as Peyton announced triumphatley, "Hey, I think I see your friend Seth!"  
  
They looked to where she was pointing at someone twenty or so feet away, a head full of silky black curls. "Don't you think he would've mentioned the sec change when he called me last month?"  
  
Peyton gave the girl a second glance, and frowned. "Ugh... well, surprises are always fun."  
  
Marissa ignored this comment and instead jumped into the air, squealing, then grabbed her friend's hand and began dragging her in another direction. "Never mind that."   
  
They finally came upon a small gathering of people, and Marissa cheerfully jumped into one of the unexpectant man's arms. "Ryan!" His eyes bulged out at the shock of it all, but he squeezed tighter around Marissa's petite body, as she mumbled into his shoulder a simple, "I've missed you."  
  
Peyton only stood around uncomfortable, then noticed the rather attractive man she had guessed from his various pictures to be Seth Cohen, and began simultaneously flirting with her eyes.   
  
"Heh hem. Sorry to ruin the moment but..." Everyone turned to see a short, skinny girl standing beyond them with two drinks preoccupying her hands. The first thing she noticed was Marissa... in Ryan's arms, but her eyes averted away from them and landed on Seth, and then Peyton, giving her a curious look, and finally realizing who she was, she gasped, and nearly dropped the two bottles of beer she was holding. 


	8. Close Encounters Part Two

Chapter Seven  
  
Close Encounters: Part Two  
  
"I know you... I know you!" summer squealed in a high-pitched over-the-top girly voice, causing Peyton to jump.   
  
"Now let's see..." Her eyes wandered up, giving off the idea that she was thinking hard. Whoa.. wait, was this still Summer Roberts?  
  
"Oh, hello, Summer. It's so good to see you too!" Marissa stated in an overly-peppy voice, yet sarcastic tone.   
  
Summer brushed her comment off and her eyes widened. "It starts with an H, I know that much. Luke's showed me pictures of you. H... H... Hannah? Holly! Ugh, I've got to get this..."  
  
"Peyton Sawyer, pleasure to meet you." Peyton stuck her hand out with a grin, thinking this girl must be W-H-A-C-K-O, but very amusing nonetheless.   
  
"Haley, is that right?"  
  
"Yeah, Haley, that's it." Peyton gave in, no longer desiring to hear any more of this psychotic girl. She obviously wasn't catching on.  
  
"But wasn't there another one... he mentioned Brooke too..." Oh, right, she remembers that.  
  
"Well, this could go on for a while, I'll be at the bar..." Seth announced, stepping apart from the group as reality finally set in on Summer, and she planted her eyes on him.   
  
"Cohen! Wait up!" She chirped, running to catch up to him.  
  
"We better go keep an eye on her... I don't think I've ever seen her this drunk." Marissa eyed Peyton and then followed the two, Ryan by her side.  
  
Peyton, however, was intrigued by this girl, and wanted to get to know more about her, especially her relations with Lucas...  
  
"UGH!" Haley screamed out in frustration, unclamping her hands from her ears and slamming her cell phone slam shut again. No one was home at Kirsten and Sandy's house, or at least they weren't answering their phone, and it didn't really matter anyway, because she could barely hear anything over the loud music in the bar.   
  
Haley glanced toward the front of the line, and realized that she was still nowhere near the bathroom. She sighed, and decided to go outside and attempt reaching her aunt or uncle.  
  
She pushed her way past many drunken guys, half of which sent her a mischevious smirk or tried to pinch her ass. Douche bag. She moved faster and managed to finally break loose of the large crowd, but upon arriving a mere few feet from the front entrance, she saw something that disconnected her body from her brain, and her first instinct was to turn and run back to where she came from, without giving the sight another glance. But she found herself moments later, at the bar, and soon enough had devoured several vodka shots. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening. Not to her. What had she done to deserve this? But the thought racing through her mind; she had seen him. Them. And she did not like what she saw.  
  
Seth reached the bar and chose a stool near the end, ordering a simple beer. He rolled his eyes when he heard her calling out to him... for the first time he realized how annoying that voice was. No, wait, not the first time ever, just the first in a long time.   
  
"So whatcha doin?" She slurred, slapping her hand down firmly on the bar counter.  
  
"Trying to avoid you. Apparently it's not working out so well for me, though, is it?"  
  
Summer lifted her chin, narrowing her eyes in thought, and was about to answer when she tilted her head to the side and spotted yet another familiar figure sitting several stools down.  
  
"... Brooke .... ?" She mumbled suspiciously. Lucas had shown her many pictures of his family and friends, it had gotten so annoying listening to him go on, and on, and on, about them, that she would constantly just block it all out. But some of the faces she would never pass up, and this was definitley one of them.   
  
Seth kept all of his attention on the drink he held in front of him, as Summer moved slowly down the line, tapping the girl on the back with her index finger, causing her to slowly turned around and reveal her entire face. "Brooke Davis?"  
  
Ah... so there you have it, chapter seven. Aren't we just loving my frequency with updating? LOL. Hope you guys liked, and is so, please review! I love ya'll! -Erin  
  
evcrules- Yeah, cliffhangers suck, don't they? Oh well... I'm evil! :evil LOL. By the way, I love you! He he.   
  
tardychick06- I can't wait until they meet up again either! Unfortunatley, not even I am sure when each and every single one will be reunited because this fic has taken me unexpected places... guess we'll just have to wait and see. And to answer your question, it's been three years since they all left Tree Hill, sorry if I didn't make that clear enough in the story!  
  
Graga Serrs- Wow, favorite story huh? I'm so honored! No, really, I am. Lol. I can't say for sure what couple will go and what couples will stay the same but there are going to be some inner OTH romance, and the same goes for The O.C.   
  
Mis- Well, there's the update you couldn't wait for-now review and tell me you can't wait for the next! Lol. Really, every little bit counts. Thanks so much!  
  
HUGE thanks to everyone else who replied to earlier chapters... there's just so many, I could only respond to this chapter's reviewers. You guys rock! By the way, thought I'd add in my banner for this story, it's nothing special, just figured I'd do it anyway. http:img78.photobucket.com/albums/v236/jamesroxmysox23/DesperateMeasuresBanner.jpg 


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